So, since my PC does not behave, I watched the 25 minute short version of "Remember O Goddess" on my mini-laptop.

While I was a bit reserved about what I would think of it (you know I am almost allergic to the word "independent" when it comes to cinema), I was pleasantly surprised. Very much so, in fact.

The short film might be independently produced, but it's not art-house. I mean that it has a plot, characterization, it makes sense and the imagery is by no means vague to anyone with half a brain and human emotions.

I have to say, it was a very good choice to go with an actor as talented as Kim Jung Tae in the lead. The man is very good at conveying emotions with very little. You know, acting is about a lot of things. A lot of them, you can learn. But that something which enables an actor to show what the character feels, simply by the look in their eyes, is rare. That's where talent lies.

I also loved how this was filmed. There were some very interesting shots and ways of showing the scene that were very fresh and worked very well. I think the genre of this is great for experimentation too.

Speaking of genre, I like how this keeps some film noir elements which do really define the genre. A lot of night shots, small spaces, a general closed-quarters feel in most of the scenes. We even had a femme fatale for a bit.

Lastly, I really liked what this short film had to show. As I mention in one interview question I have given miss Yoon Jung Lee, I think this apathy one can receive from people is a very frightening and sad problem of modern societies. While we can't possibly worry about everyone around us and their problems, I find the degree to which we actually turn a blind eye to another's misery disturbing.

Cops in Korean works. We all know how awesome and helpful they are...

So I am very much looking forward to the complete film. I've been thinking about what I saw in these 25 minutes since I watched it and that is usually a good indication that what I watched was worth my time.

Given that most "contemporary" productions I've had the misfortune of coming across where a big pile of pretentious shit, I was happy to see that non-mainstream cinema is no longer necessarily "artsy" and weird. At the same time, I was sad to see that potentially great films are having so much trouble getting support through more official/bigger channels.

Which brings us to the crowd-based funding for this and why you, as fans of Korean entertainment, should care.

With all that has been happening lately in regards to the internet, privacy and all these issues, a lot of us have talked about and thought about what is worth fighting for and more so, paying for.

How many of us are sick of seeing insane amounts of money spent for absolutely god-awful movies, which are then available to us for equally insane amounts of money, considering their quality and an average person's financial capabilities? And how many of us are pissed that our opinion and any attempt at making something good seem to be buddies going down the MAFIAA crapper together?

With crowd-based funding, we can actually help make the things we consider good enough to have made and buy. While we can't cover all the costs, this can show big companies and governments two things. One, we are willing to pay when we are not being taken for idiots and two, good things can be made with a lot less money than used in some over-the-top expensive productions and we know it.

You want more power? Here it is then. If its Kickstarter campaign is successful, "Remember O Goddess" will be the first crowd-funded Korean film. In history, that is. Will it change the world? No, but it's a start. We have power in numbers and it's high time we realize it and do our small part in this larger picture. Entertainment, especially, is one thing we can influence and help along.

As foreign fans, having any kind of say or interaction with a Korean production is also quite a rare occurrence. So, if you can afford it, chip in for this film. If you can't, spread the word. We all know this very well, that Asian entertainment fandom is very well networked online.

So, be it your sharing, money or wishes, I hope at least some of you will consider this worth your trouble.

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